Marubeni and Kyocera test out smart checkout system

Marubeni and Kyocera have announced a proof of concept test for a smart checkout system equipped with the latter’s AI object recognition technology at supermarkets in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

This will kick off in the summer.

According to a press release: “Improving the efficiency of store operations has become a major issue for supermarkets in Japan due to the country’s labour market shortages, declining birthrate, and ageing population.”

It adds: “Among in-store operations, cash register work requires improved efficiency the most, as employees or consumers need to scan product barcodes one by one, which takes significant time.”

“During peak times, long lines for cash registers are a regular occurrence and a point of stress for both stores and consumers. However, resolving this problem is difficult at present because of the human capital and implementation costs required to improve cash register operational efficiency.”

The aforementioned system will tap technology developed by the Kyocera Advanced Technology Research Institute that instantly recognises multiple overlapping products to save labour and improve efficiency at checkout.

In addition, it can be easily used at a low cost by installing only a camera, PC, and display, the press release claims.

The POC will leverage Marubeni’s network and product data in the retail space with Kyocera’s technology to improve the system’s service and aim for future commercialisation.

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